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The Flying Frog looking a little bored

Peppa Pig World

The Edge at Paultons Park

Whilst not quite Disneyland, Paultons Family Theme Park isn’t bad. When visiting theme parks like this (just for the kids, obviously), I outwardly grit my teeth and pretend to tolerate the proceedings with good humour. My dirty secret is that I actually rather enjoy theme parks. Whenever I think of Paultons Park nestled on the edge of the New Forest, I remember the endless adverts featuring that owl, reminding me that it’s a ‘Hoot Hoot’. That put me off even investigating the park for a very long time.

However, it’s come a long way, and has quite a wide variety of rides and distractions. At Christmas the park rebuilds an excellent (huge) Santa’s Grotto, luring children and their parents through a maze of Christmassy wonderland, culminating with an audience with the Big Man Himself.

The rides are many and varied, and I am told the the new Peppa Pig World is a huge success, although it was in build last time I was there. The kids have seen it and I am assured is is as exciting to them as Star Wars was to me.

As well as thrill rides, go-karting, an aviary and traditional fairground rides, there are also themed areas (other than Peppa Pig’s compound), such as a walk through the woods populated by huge fibreglass dinosaurs. On one ‘adult responsible for lots of little boys’ visit, it was all I could do to stop the little tikes breaching the wooden barrier and climbing onto the Brontosaurus’ back.

Expense and stress aside, I would go again. Just avoid the Dragon Roundabout if you don’t want to lose your lunch.